I'm married to a writer. She started as a journalist, and we all know how THAT industry has gone in recent years. She then did trade journalism and some PR work, but the general trend she's found is that people who think they can write, do not value writers. I was floored to commend her to one of my clients who has treated me really well, she did some excellent writing for them and then the company owner who practices seagull management (fly in once a year and shit on everything) wondered aloud in front of everyone why they were paying her to write stuff when people could write their own materials.

So yeah, you may find writing, much less literature, to be not highly valued.

As a software developer I guess people don't understand what I do and so just throw money at me and leave me alone providing I'm doing something mission critical; but even there, it's not like it was in the 1970s when I started. Back then everyone was terrified of computers, now every one owns and uses one, and so thinks they know how to manage information technology. So even I get offered inadequately resourced projects and death march environments from time to time, and escape them only because I'm senior enough to be picky and experienced enough to smell such debacles a mile away.

what sells has nothing to do with talent, creativity or even genre. judith krantz and sidney sheldon certainly have proven that. it has to do with who you know in publishing. i am speaking of novels. if you write articles and find your niche, you may be able to support yourself.

g

Fiction or non? Self publishing is an expensive option but it can work.

That is true but some authors are exceptional and they will always sell when others can't.

Amazon has a nice arrangement for authors, giving them a percentage of sales.

Creativity sells volumes although I don't think a tabloid would do it.